Physical manifestations- Work diary

Basic information:
Date: 01/12/16
Camera used: Macro camera
Props or subject: Subject
Editing program: Photoshop CC 2014
Camera settings: 1/125, f/9, ISO 200
Technique used: Standard lighting
Camera set up: (Diagram created using www.lightingdiagrams.com/creator)- soft box x2, Tripod

Favourite image

This is my favourite image from this series as I like the way that I have incorporated collage style through the use of shooting range targets as well as the technique of piercing to create holes in the image similar to an air rifle pellet in order to demonstrate the concept of "Bite the bullet".  I like the way that the overall image has a dull creamy and unsaturated tone as it allows it to compliment the cream of the shooting range targets.

Least favourite image

The above image is effective in demonstrating its concept of "Two heads are better than one" through the use of collage by ripping and layering images however it is unsettling as the subjects faces do not accurately align.  This image still appeals to me however as a result of its surreal and unnatural appearance however it could have been improved by possibly creating the split vertically down the subjects face once opposed to repeatedly across the face.

Physical manifestations- Connecting essay 3

Artists image- Jose Romussi

My image

Jose Romussi is a photographer and artist who works around physically altering his images through the medium of embroidery.  His work interests me due to the way that he alters the meaning of the original image after is has been printed adding an additional sense of depth to the piece post-shoot.  The image I have chosen above features a woman in a studded headress turned towards the camera in a crouched or bent position.  The studded headers and feathers used create an appearance of power and resilience which is added to through the fact that the image is presented in black and white as well as the fact that the subjects hair is not perfectly maintained and is wearing a black tank top going against standard feminine standards.  This is all contrasted through the later additions to the piece of intricate embroidered swirl patters in pastel colours.  This detailing gives the image a feminine edge and the pastels contrast heavily with the black and white tones in the image helped the embroidery to stand out.  The viewers eye is drawn to the subject immediately as a result of the shallow depth of field used as well as the colour over the subjects face this also creates a mystery about the subjects identity as it is obscured from the viewer by the embroidery.

My image is very different to Romussi's as I choose to only really draw from the embroidery aspect of the image.  In my image I choose to position the subject facing the camera in a close shot position.  I also shot in the studio opposed to on location and used a black background whereas Romussi used a very light background which was accentuated by the colour contrast shown by the use of black and white colouration.  My image lacks this large tonal contrast however the use of a macro lens when shooting insures that the subjects features are still sharp and easy to distinguish.  I choose to create a far more simple embroidered design as I wanted to replicate the stitching effect seen in "Lips sealed" one of my earlier shoots.  I choose a black thread as I felt that it complimented the images backdrop and stood out well against the subjects pale skin (this was furthered though the use of a reduced saturation when editing).  The black thread also helps to draw the sinister meaning behind the subjects lips being sealed against her will and the fact that she is being forced by society to keep her secret.  This is why I felt that it was important for the subjects face to be visible opposed to the anonymous subject in Romussi's work.

If I were able to revisit this shoot I would likely print my image on a larger scale such as A3 to give me more room to embroider a design as I feel that this larger scale would allow me to add more detail to the image.  I would also consider using a thicker thread and possibly more than one colour to create a more intricate design.

To conclude I feel that this shoot was successful in that it achieved what I wanted to convey from my shoots title which was to create physical manifestations of the idioms represented in other shoots.  However the shoot did not fully replicate Romussi's style so this is something that I could revisit.

In conclusion I feel that that this shoot was largely successful with the coloration and positioning used creating a striking image.

Physical Manifestations- Straight images/Physical photographs

Each of the images in this series was shot using two soft boxes with a macro lens in the studio against a black backdrop in order to capture detail in the subjects face as well as to help make them stand out against the background.  The images were then edited in photoshop where there saturation was decreased and their curves were altered (each of the images has the same editing technique as I layered them and then made layers visible to save as jpegs in order to create constant edits).

This image was formed around the idiom "Two heads are better than one" and was formed through tearing one image and then laying it over the over and glueing it down.  I felt that the ragged edges created by the rips were important as it gives the image a more raw and less clinical appearance than what would have been achieved through using scissors to cut strips of the image.

This image was formed around the idiom "Plenty more fish in the sea" I pierced the image with a needle and then threaded the hook through both holes in order to prevent the paper from splitting or tearing under pressure.  I choose to use  gold wire as this matched the collar of the subject in the image and helped to join the physical additions to the base image.

This image was formed around "Bite the bullet" I created the bullet holes by piercing the image with a pencil after laying it over a cardboard box.  In order to further demonstrate that the holes are bullet holes I choose to lay targets from shooting ranges over the image.

This image is based around "Lips sealed" I chose to execute this with black thread and stitched through the paper with a needle and thread.  This was difficult as I had to be wary of tearing the paper as this would have destroyed the detailing in the image.  I chose to use black thread due to it's sinister connotations such as death as well as the fact that it provided a good level of contrast to the subjects skin.

Physical Manifestations- Contact sheet